This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art which may be related to various aspects of the present invention which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
Typical computer devices include a number of components assigned to accomplish various tasks. For example, a computer device may include, processors, memory components, cooling devices, data storage devices, and other desired components. These components may electrically couple with one another over electrical pathways, such as etched wiring pathways located on one or more printed circuit boards. To facilitate coupling and uncoupling of the components with respect to one another, these wiring pathways may extend to one or more electrical connectors. For example, one or more processors may couple to a first connector mounted to a circuit board. Similarly, a second connector may electrically communicate with various other components of the computer device. To facilitate coupling between connectors, one connector may comprise a series of pins that mate with a series of corresponding slots located on the second connector, i.e., a pin-and-slot connector pair. Accordingly, upon engagement of the two connectors, their respective components may be electrically coupled to one another.
Over time, as the number of electrical connections on a connector increases, the forces to facilitate engagement and disengagement between two connectors also generally increase. For example, in a pin-and-slot connector configuration, the frictional resistance between pins and slots increases with the number of pin-and-slot pairs. In certain applications, the appropriate amount of engagement or disengagement force may be burdensome or unwieldy to apply. Additionally, improper application of the force may cause damage to one or both of the connectors. For example, improper application of forces between a pin-and-slot connection pair may cause the pins to misalign with respect to the slots, thereby causing the pins to bend or break.